STATE SENATE PASSES RESPONSIBLE BUDGET THAT REDUCES SPENDING,INVESTS IN NEW YORK’S PRIORITIES AND INCLUDES NO NEW TAXESSpending Plan Will Serve As Roadmap to an on-time BudgetThe New York State Senate today passed its budget resolution - - afiscally sound plan that reduces spending, rejects tax increases and makesresponsible investments in New York’s future.The Senate budget largely mirrors the priorities outlined in Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget and will serve as a real roadmap to the enactmentof a responsible, on-time budget.“Today’s passage of our Senate budget puts us on a path to strengtheningNew York this year and for the future. By controlling spending, reducingtaxes and focusing on helping the private sector create jobs, SenateRepublicans have shown that we’re listening to the calls of hard-working,middle-class New Yorkers and their families,” Senate Majority Leader DeanG. Skelos said.The Senate budget closes a $10 billion budget deficit without raisingtaxes, and allows the PIT surcharge to sunset as scheduled so smallbusinesses and others can get back to creating jobs for workers.Coming in at approximately $132.5 billion, the Senate budget spendsslightly less than the Executive Budget and stabilizes the State’s financesthis year and in future years. Senate Republicans accept the Governor’srecommended caps on future Medicaid and education spending, which is inline with previous Senate Republican calls for passage of a State spendingcap.“The Senate’s budget will put our State back on sound financial footing byclosing a $10 billion budget deficit without raising taxes. It gives smallbusinesses the ability to begin creating jobs to get our economy back ontrack, and the caps on Medicaid and education spending, which mirrorsSenate Republican calls for passage of an overall state spending cap, allowus to control spending going forward,” Senator John DeFrancisco, the Chair

of the Senate Finance Committee, said.The Senate budget makes minor school aid restorations ($280 million) whichensure greater equity for every region of the State. These minor restorations are mainly targeted to Upstate rural districts which are themost reliant on State aid and were most impacted by the Governor's budget.The Senate accepts 95 percent of the $2.9 billion in reductions and reformsrecommended of the Governor's Medicaid Redesign Team and authorizescounties to eliminate optional Medicaid services - - building on the SenateRepublican’s commitment to reducing the cost of the Medicaid program toease the burden on state and local taxpayers.“Our priorities regarding the budget are the same priorities of the averageLong Island family: jobs, the economy and tax relief. Our Senate budgetaddresses the crucial need to create jobs, redesign the Medicaid system andprovide relief for taxpayers, while remaining largely in sync with theGovernor’s priorities, which should lead to an on-time budget,” Senator Kemp Hannon, the Chair of the Senate Health Committee, said.The Senate budget includes the Governor’s proposed Power for Jobs programbill to address the pressing need to help businesses create jobs,especially Upstate. The Senate passed the Governor’s program bill earlier this year."The people of New York are facing historic fiscal challenges, but theSenate Republicans are meeting them head-on. However, it doesn't stop atcutting spending. New York needs jobs, so we can grow our way out of thesetough economic times. The Senate has already passed Power for Jobs, butwe've included it in our Budget because it's that important. We need to getNew York back on the right track. The hardworking taxpayers of New York aredemanding that we close the deficit, cap spending, not raise taxes, andcreate jobs. The Senate Republicans share that sentiment and so doesGovernor Cuomo. I hope the Assembly shares it as well,” Deputy MajorityLeader Thomas Libous said.The Senate budget eliminates $296 million in cost shifts to localgovernments that could have led to property tax increases at the local